Department for Transport

Holidays: Coronavirus

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support those who are at higher risk from COVID-19 and may not be entitled to a refund for a booked holiday that they wish to cancel on health grounds.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Consumers who are shielding due to underlying health conditions should discuss options for a refund or a credit note with their travel provider, or consider a claim through their travel insurance. Government have urged businesses to act fairly in this unprecedented situation. The CAA as the regulator actively monitors airline performance on protecting consumer rights and takes appropriate action where that is not satisfactory.

Shipping: Coronavirus

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK (1) shipping, and (2) ports, with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has been working closely with the maritime sector, including shipping and ports, as they have continued to operate throughout the pandemic and provide vital freight and passenger services. As the economy continues its safe re-opening, the Department will continue to engage widely across the maritime sector to understand any challenges they face, including the ongoing financial health of maritime companies, shipping and our ports.

Fishguard and Holyhead Port

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that vessels from the Republic of Ireland have access to the port of (1) Fishguard, and (2) Holyhead, following the end of the transition period.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Vessels will continue to be able to sail between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, or on any other shipping route, after the end of the transition period. No additional steps need to be taken and vessels will therefore continue to have access to the ports of Fishguard and Holyhead as currently.

Northern Ireland Office

Non-domestic Rates: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about business rates relief in Northern Ireland.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Business rates in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive. Following the decision to provide rates relief in England as part of the Government’s response to Covid-19, the Executive also introduced rates relief for NI businesses. The measures taken by the Executive include: A four-month rates holiday for all NI business ratepayers between April and July this year; An extended rates holiday for the hospitality, tourism, childcare, leisure and retail sectors (with the exception of certain supermarkets and off-licences). These businesses will pay no rates for the full financial year up until 31 March 2021. These measures were enabled by the £2.2bn of additional UK Government funding provided to the Executive as part of our response to Covid-19. We have regular engagement with Executive ministers on a range of issues, including responding to Covid-19. We will continue to work closely with the Executive as we work to see Northern Ireland recover.

Department of Health and Social Care

Insulin: Procurement

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government from which (1) sources, and (2) countries, they purchaseinsulin.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK’s supply of insulin is manufactured in the UK.

Lord Bethell: All medicines require a licence approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. This includes information about the sites where the medicine may be manufactured and where components may be sourced. There may be multiple sites associated with each licence, which is gives manufacturers resilience in their supply chains, but means that it is not possible for the Department to determine accurately the proportion of medicines manufactured in any one country at any particular time. In addition, any information of this nature that suppliers do share with the Department is commercially confidential.

Coronavirus: Death

Baroness Browning: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany people diagnosed with COVID-19 on admission to hospital have died while still an in-patient after 28 days.

Lord Bethell: Public Health England does not collect the data in the format requested.

NHS: Facsimile Transmission

Lord Borwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fax machines are regularly used inthe NHS.

Lord Bethell: Fax machines and associated consumables were removed from the NHS Supply Chain catalogue in January 2019, and we continue to support the National Health Service with digital transformation to remove the need for outdated technology, including fax machines.We have not requested further information on fax machine usage from trusts during the COVID-19 outbreak, in order to reduce the burden on systems.

Department for Education

Schools: Protective Clothing

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to research findings that COVID-19 is transmitted in aerosols, leading the governments of Japan, Taiwan, Italy, Spain and France to insist on mask wearing inside classrooms, what assessment they have made of making masks mandatory in UK schools, as advised by the WHO; whether they plan to introduce such measures; and if not, whether they can provide the scientific advice for not doing so.

Baroness Berridge: At each stage of the department’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice, and if we think that the guidance should be revised based on further evidence then we will not hesitate to act swiftly and decisively.On 21 August, the World Health Organisation published a new statement advising that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same condition as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area”. As a result, the department has revised its guidance on face coverings in schools and colleges, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.As the guidance outlines, in areas of national government intervention, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils in secondary schools when moving around indoors, such as in corridors or communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Otherwise, all schools, including primary schools, have the discretion to require the use of face coverings by adults and pupils in year 7 and above in indoor communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.Based on current evidence, and in light of the mitigating measures that schools are already putting in place, face coverings will not be necessary in the classroom. Face coverings would have a negative impact on teaching and their use in the classroom should be avoided.

Pupil Premium

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase pupil premium funding for economically disadvantaged children.

Baroness Berridge: We are committed to levelling up opportunities to make sure everyone has a fair chance to realise their potential and no-one is left behind. The pupil premium furthers this objective by helping schools improve the academic attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.Since the pupil premium was introduced in 2011, it has provided?more than?£18 billion of additional funding for schools and has played an important role in contributing to the narrowing of the disadvantaged attainment gaps at ages 11 and 16 years.Pupil premium allocations for the 2020-21 financial year were published in June, and the first quarterly instalments were paid out in June and July. Announcements on pupil premium funding for the 2021-22 financial year will follow later in the year, in line with the usual timetable. Announcements for future years will be made in due course.The total allocated through the pupil premium was £2.41 billion last financial year (2019-20) and is £2.45 billion this financial year (2020-21).

Home Education

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a register for all home educated children.

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to introduce a register of all parents who are teaching children at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Berridge: In the spring of 2019 a consultation was held on proposals for a mandatory register of children who are not on the role of state or registered independent schools, to help local authorities carry out their responsibilities in relation to those children. The consultation closed in June of 2019. Responses to the consultation have been considered and a formal government response document setting out next steps is expected later this year.As for children who are registered at state or independent schools, all such schools maintain an admissions and attendance register. Information on attendance at such schools is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.The latest figures show that 99.8% of state-funded schools were open on 24 September, down from 99.9% on 17 September. Of the small proportion (0.2%) of schools that were closed, this was mostly due to COVID-19 related reasons. Approximately 88% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 24 September. This figure has remained broadly stable for 3 weeks.Schools should keep a record of, and monitor engagement with remote education, but this does not need to be recorded in the attendance register.

Schools: Racial Harassment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey conducted byThe Diana Award,published in September, which found that 32 per cent of the children surveyed had overheard racist comments at school.

Baroness Berridge: We are clear that there is no place for racism in schools and our wider education system. All children and young people deserve the opportunity to progress and fulfil their potential in an environment free from fear, prejudice or hate.Departmental officials are aware of the findings you refer to from The Diana Award’s recent survey, and these are being considered as part of our ongoing work to tackle racism in schools. We are providing an additional £750,000 funding in the 2020-21 financial year to three anti-bullying organisations, including The Diana Award, to help schools continue to tackle bullying, such as through programmes that tackle prejudice and discrimination.More broadly, schools play an important role in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. This involves supporting pupils to understand the society in which they grow up and teaching about respect for other people and for difference. Schools and further education providers are also required to actively promote fundamental British values, including individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. The department has published advice for schools on promoting these values and has made resources available through the Educate Against Hate website. This website provides teachers, school leaders and parents with the information, guidance and support they need to challenge radical views, including racist and discriminatory beliefs. The website is available here: https://educateagainsthate.com/.

Care Leavers: Digital Technology

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the uptake of their scheme to provide digital devices and internet access for care leavers.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure every care leaver in England has access to a digital device and the internet for at least 12 months when they first live independently.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all services provided by local authorities for care leavers include access to a digital device and the internet.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with organisations which work with care leavers to discuss access to digital devices and the internet.

Baroness Berridge: In April 2020, the government invested £100 million into laptops and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged students to enable them to engage in remote learning. This was also made available for children with a social worker and care leavers, to improve digital access to support and services. The department has so far delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 routers to local authorities to distribute to vulnerable children and young people in their local areas.Of these devices, 148,000 have been provided specifically to children with a social worker and care leavers and the guidance issued to local authorities identified care leavers as a priority group. Responsibility for identifying which young people require devices lies with local authorities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-provided-during-coronavirus-covid-19.These devices are an important injection of support from the government for care leavers who are at greater risk of isolation and, alongside many excellent local initiatives, have helped to improve digital access for this cohort.All local authorities have a duty to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. This includes care leavers’ statutory entitlements, as well as any discretionary support and services that the local authority chooses to provide. Some local authorities have included supplying mobile phones, data packages or other forms of digital access for their care leavers during the COVID-19 outbreak, and may consider making this part of their local offer going forward.Mark Riddell, the government’s National Adviser for care leavers, and departmental officials from the Care Leavers Policy Team are actively engaged with the organisations campaigning for better digital access for care leavers.

History: Education

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had, and with whom, about the potential merits of including black British history in the national curriculum.

Baroness Berridge: Department officials have discussed the flexible scope of the history curriculum, and the opportunities there are to teach black history within it, with a number of organisations such as the Runnymede Trust, The Black Curriculum and the Historical Association. We welcome the profile given to the importance of teaching black history by bodies such as the Runnymede Trust, The Black Curriculum, Fill in the Blanks and many other groups and individuals over the years, and the support and resources on teaching they provide to teachers.

Universities: Mental Health Services

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support universities to providemoremental health and wellbeing support to students whilst COVID-19 restrictions are in place.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Protecting the mental health and wellbeing of all students, domestic and international, continues to be a priority for the government. The disruption and uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak has affected all age groups, but particularly young people who are making the transition from school to university during this time.Higher education providers are best placed to identify and address the needs of their particular student body as well as how to develop the services needed. Many providers have boosted their existing welfare and counselling services to ensure that support services can be accessed, which is particularly important for those students having to self-isolate or who are affected by local restrictions.Student Space, funded with £3 million from the Office for Students, provides dedicated support services (by telephone and text message) for students and an online platform to help students access vital mental health and wellbeing resources. The platform bridges gaps in support for students arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and is designed to work alongside existing services.The government has recently provided over £9 million to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. In addition, NHS mental health trusts are ensuring 24-hour, 7-day-a-week access to crisis telephone lines to support people of all ages.We have asked providers to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of students during this period and have enabled them to use funding – worth up to £23 million per month from April to July this year, and £256 million for the academic year 2020/21 starting from August – to go towards student hardship funds and mental health support.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Overcrowding

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent overcrowding in prisons.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We are committed to reducing crowding across the prison estate which is why we are investing up to £2.5bn to provide 10,000 additional prison places to ensure we have the prison places we need to manage incoming demand.In addition , we have already delivered 2,100 uncrowded prison places at HMP/YOI Berwyn, 206 uncrowded places in a house block at HMP Stocken and continue to work at pace to deliver modern, decent, uncrowded prisons at the former HMP Wellingborough and HMP Glen Parva sites, which are due to open in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Coronavirus: Prosecutions

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals have been prosecuted for not wearing a face covering on the South Eastern main line since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: National Statistics on prosecutions and convictions for the second and third quarter of 2020 are due for publication in November 2020 and February 2021, respectively, with detailed offence level data for the whole of 2020 planned for publication in May 2021. Our statisticians are currently considering what data related to Covid-19 impacts can be gathered and prioritised from court management information systems in time for quality assurance and publication; prosecutions for this type of offence, under the appropriate legislation, may be included. They will notify users through regular statistical publications and updates will be announced on gov.uk.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Yemen: War Crimes

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of possible war crimes committed by coalition forces in Yemen after an airstrike on a home in Washah near the Yemeni–Saudi border killed six children.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are deeply concerned by reports of civilian deaths in Washah. Whenever the UK receives reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law, we routinely seek information from all credible sources, including from NGOs and international organisations. We use every opportunity to raise the importance of complying with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the Coalition, including requesting investigations into alleged incidents of concern. The UK continues to call on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to exercise restraint, comply fully with IHL and engage constructively with the peace process led by the UN Special Envoy, which is the only way to end the cycle of violence.

China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byLord Grimstone of Boscobel on 29 September (HL Deb, cols GC49), what plans they have to initiate a national review of strategic dependency on China; what assessment they have made of China's developing nation status at the World Trade Organisation; and what plans they have, if any, to make representations to change that status.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have a policy of engagement with China and our approach will remain consistent even if difficulties emerge. As we engage we will always protect our national interests and hold China to its international commitments and promises. Our approach also continues to underline our international leadership in promoting free trade, and our belief in the benefits that free trade brings. There is a broader debate at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding the methodology for awarding Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) to developing countries. As it currently stands there is no objective criteria for defining developing countries at the WTO and members are able to 'self-designate' as developing. The UK continues to engage on this topic at the WTO. We maintain the view that SDT should be awarded on a case-by-case, needs-based basis in the context of each WTO negotiation.

Children in Care: Brexit

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children in each EU and EEA country who areUK citizens; whichGovernment department or bodyhas responsibility for looking after the interests of such children; what plans they have toprovide special consular, or other, support services to those children after 31 December; andwhat steps they are takingto ensure that such children canexercise their rights under the EU–UK Withdrawal Agreement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that UK nationals living in the EU can stay in their host country and continue living broadly as they do now. This includes children of UK nationals. It is not possible to track precisely the number of UK nationals in the EU, nor the number of children. However, the latest analysis from the Office of National Statistics from April 2018 estimated that 59,600 were aged under 15 years.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is responsible for policy relating to the rights of UK nationals living in the EU. Member States also have an obligation to ensure that UK nationals in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement living in their country are protected. When providing Consular assistance, the safety and welfare of children is paramount. It is the primary concern of FCDO when providing consular assistance to young people. The FCDO will provide assistance to vulnerable UK nationals in the EU, including children, after 31 December, in line with FCDO consular policy. We consider that someone is vulnerable when they cannot protect themselves from significant physical or emotional harm, or be protected by others.The Government is supporting UK nationals, including families with children, to exercise their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. This includes support through the UK National Support Fund (UKNSF), which has allocated £3 million to external organisations to provide practical support to UK nationals who may have difficulty completing their residency applications.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe number of Syrian fighters reportedly deployedto Libya bythe government of Turkey.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports of foreign fighters being transferred from Syria to engage in armed conflict in Libya - on both sides of the conflict.The UK is clear that external involvement in the Libyan conflict, including the use of mercenaries and foreign fighters, is undermining UN efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire and restart political dialogue. We have expressed our concern to the Turkish Government, as we have to all other external actors whose activity continues to fuel the conflict.

Foreign Relations

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the then Minister for Asia and the Pacific on 26 February 2019 (HC Deb, col 145), what progress theyhave made in developing the cross-Government soft power strategy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The role of soft power is being considered as part of the Integrated Review of foreign policy, defence, security and international development. This will be informed by the conclusions of the cross-government work already undertaken on our strategic approach to this area.

West Bank: Housing

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 September (HL8094), what advice they have given to thePalestinian Authority about what steps can be taken to prevent the government of Israel from building settlement housing on Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As previously stated, our longstanding position on settlements is that they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to abide by International Humanitarian Law and to promote peace, stability and security. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid actions which make peace more difficult to achieve.

Indonesia: Protests

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia about police action in responseto peaceful protests by students at Cendewasih University in West Papua.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the protests by students on 28 September 2020 at Cenderawasih University in Papua. We have not raised this specific case with the Indonesian authorities, but we regularly press them to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of peaceful protest. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Heather Wheeler, raised Papua with the Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mahendra Siregar, during her visit to Jakarta in January 2020.

Joana Mamombe

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe about the detention of Joana Mamombe in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is deeply concerned by the arrest of Joana Mamombe. Following her return to prison on 24 September on the grounds of requiring a medical examination, she was released on 7 October following an order by the High Court. Our Ambassador in Harare publicly welcomed her release but reiterated her concern at the need for her detention on 8 October. When the Minister for Africa wrote to Foreign Minister Moyo on 12 August, following a telephone call with him on 8 June, he raised specific human rights violations, including the treatment of Ms Mamombe, Ms Chimbiri, and Ms Marowa. He made it clear that whilst the UK will support genuine reform in Zimbabwe we are yet to see the necessary meaningful progress, including on human rights. Our Ambassador in Harare reinforced these messages when she met Foreign Minister Moyo in Harare on 14 August.Our Embassy in Harare will continue to monitor developments on the case of Ms Mamombe, Ms Chimbiri, and Ms Marowa closely. We will continue to call on the Government to uphold the rule of law. This includes respecting the Zimbabwean Constitution which clearly prohibits enforced disappearances, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hops: Coronavirus

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to supporthop growers in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Hop growers can access a range of financial support options, such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. On September 24, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced updated terms to the financial support package, including extended loan application deadlines to November 30, longer loan repayment times and further extensions to the grant scheme for the self-employed. The relaxation of restrictions over much of the country during the last few months has allowed the hospitality sector, including pubs, bars and restaurants, to partially re-open for business. This will have provided some relief to the sector and its supply chains. However, with the current increase in Covid-19 cases and the introduction of Local Alert Levels, certain parts of the hospitality sector will see further restrictions. The Chancellor announced a new package of financial support on 9 October which will benefit the hospitality sector and its supply chains.

Agriculture: Metaldehyde

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have provided to British farmersabout the decision to ban the use of metaldehyde.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The outdoor use of metaldehyde, a pesticide used to control slugs on farms and in gardens, will not be allowed in Great Britain after the end of March 2022. This decision takes into account expert scientific assessment of the risks that metaldehyde poses to birds and mammals. Phasing out the use of metaldehyde gives farmers time to switch to alternative slug control measures and we will provide targeted messages during the phase out period. Individual farmers will want to decide their best option. Products containing ferric phosphate remain available, however, and can provide effective slug control without carrying the same risks to wildlife as metaldehyde pellets. The decision has been communicated via the farming media, and we will continue to engage with farmers on this issue.

Home Office

Immigration Controls

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what stage of development is the Electronic Travel Authorisation system; and when they intend the system to come into use.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme requires primary legislation. It will be developed for delivery as part of the wider multi-year programme of change to the UK’s Points-Based Border and Immigration system.

Hate Crime

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, and with whom, about tackling hate crime.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The government continues to routinely engage with a wide range of national partners and other stakeholders about tackling all aspects of hate crime.The Home Office and MHCLG are also working closely with the National Police Chief’s Council to ensure that all police forces are providing reassurance to affected communities and encouraging hate crime reporting during the Covid 19 pandemic. This includes working with civil society partners and social media platforms to encourage victim reporting of hate crime.The Government is also engaging with a range of Departments and civil society partners to explore possible approaches to tackling hate crime beyond the Hate Crime Action Plan 2016-2020.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what algorithmic modelling they have used to identify and plan for(1) the location, and (2) the number, of new homesto be built in England; and whether they will publish the outputs of this modelling.

Lord Greenhalgh: The consultation on changes to the current planning system sought views on changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need (“the standard method”). Alongside a worked example of the proposed formula, it sets out the elements we want to balance when determining local housing need, including meeting our target of building 300,000 homes, tackling affordability challenges in the places people most want to live and renewing and levelling up our towns and cities.Having consulted on each element of the indicative formula, the Government is now reflecting on the feedback. The Government response to the consultation will follow in due course.

Shopping Centres and Urban Areas

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect high streets and shopping parades in England.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and town centres successful as the nation responds to the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak. Now more than ever, it is vital that we continue to help our local economies by supporting town centres and high streets to recover, adapt and evolve.We have worked with local authorities to make grants of over £11 billion to more than 890,000 businesses via three funds to support small businesses as well as businesses in hard hit sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure.In addition to these funds, in May government announced the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which is providing £50 million from the European Regional Development Fund to councils across England to support the safe reopening of high streets and other commercial areas. This new money will support practical measures so businesses can re-open quickly when they are allowed to, staff get back to work and customers return to shops confident it is safe.Government is also delivering the £3.6 billion Towns Fund to re-energise local economies, which includes the accelerated £1 billion?Future High Streets Fund competition. The fund will support local areas in England to renew and reshape town centres and high streets. Government announced in September £80m from the Towns Fund would be delivered to over 100 places to kick start regeneration projects; and we will make an announcement on places receiving funding via the Future High Streets Fund in Autumn.Government is also providing support to places through the High Streets Task Force. Over five years this is providing hands-on support to local areas like Coventry to develop data-driven innovative strategies to tackle issues such as empty properties and connect local areas to relevant experts. The Task Force will be rolling out its expert, training and data offer across the country in due course and has already launched a range of online support.We have also set out our plans to reform the planning process in the Planning for the Future consultation, open until 29 October. As part of this, we seek to streamline and modernise the planning process, meaning places across the country are able to respond to the needs of their communities and best utilise the land available for more homes in and around town centres and high streets, levelling up the economic and social opportunities available to our communities.Finally, since March the Government has implemented a range of measures to support commercial property tenants and landlords. The objective of these measures was to preserve tenants’ businesses through the Covid-19 lockdown and to give time and space to landlords and tenants to agree reasonable adjustments to rent and lease terms,?including terms for the payment of accumulated rent arrears. This included a moratorium on the landlord’s right of forfeiture for non-payment of rent, restrictions on the service of statutory demands and winding-up petitions and publishing a voluntary Code of Practice to encourage constructive dialogue between tenants and landlords.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of (1) the accuracy, and (2) the efficacy, of the use of algorithms in (a) the planning, and (b) the implementation, of their policies.

Lord True: The Government’s Data Ethics Framework and ‘Guide to Using AI in the Public Sector’, alongside other guidance are available on GOV.UK, to support ethical and safe use of algorithms in the public sector. Building on existing work on algorithmic and data ethics, the Government is now seeking to deliver more transparency on the use of algorithmic-assisted decision making within the public sector; and is working with leading organisations in the field of data and AI ethics on a proposed approach to algorithmic transparency.

Business: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to prevent increased costsbeing incurred by Northern Ireland businesses as a result of provisions within the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Lord True: The Government outlined its approach to the Protocol in the Command Paper published in May 2020. We will continue to work with businesses to ensure that the Protocol is implemented in a way that minimises burdens and supports the continued flow of goods.The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has established a Business Engagement Forum, which discusses a range of issues concerning the implementation of the Protocol. We have also outlined guidance to business on the requirements of the Protocol which we will update as work proceeds.In addition, the Government is also providing support to business as they prepare for the end of the transition period and beyond. This includes the new Trader Support Service, a £200m scheme that will provide an end-to-end service which will guide traders through new administrative processes at no additional cost.We have also committed to exploring further support to those agrifood producers engaging with new sanitary and phytosanitary processes, with further detail to be set out in due course

Treasury

Heavy Goods Vehicles: Holyhead Port

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much land they estimate will be required for the parking of lorries travelling through the port of Holyhead following the end of the transition period.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government is reviewing potential sites to support Holyhead. It is estimated that approximately 14.8 acres of land will be needed to meet the Government’s requirements.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Lord Aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of maintaining (1) the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and (2) the Job Retention Scheme, at the current level for businesses that are unable to open as a result of restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The information requested is not available. The latest Management Information [1], which shows claims for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was published on 22 September 2020 on GOV.UK. This shows that by 19 July 2020 a total of £7.6 billion had been claimed for the first SEISS grant and by 20 September 2020 a total of £5.6 billion had been claimed for the second SEISS grant. This information also shows that £39.3 billion had been claimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme by 20 September 2020. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics

Job Support Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Job Support Scheme on future levels of redundancy.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Job Support Scheme supports businesses who have been impacted by Covid-19 and can support their employees working some hours but who require more time to fully recover, by offering a grant covering one-third of all hours not worked by an employee. The Job Support Scheme is just one form of support on offer to employers. We have also extended four of the temporary loan schemes: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the Coronavirus Large Businesses Interruption Loan, Bounce Back Loans and the Future Fund, whilst providing flexibility in the repayment these loans, to help support businesses in stay open and meet their costs. We have also introduced the Job Retention Bonus, a one-off grant of £1,000 for every previously furloughed employee who is retained in meaningful employment by January 31st.

Travel: Insurance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure insurance companies compensate those whose holidays were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector to understand and influence its response to this unprecedented situation. The Government is encouraging insurers to do all they can to support customers during this difficult period. The independent conduct regulator for the insurance industry – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance for firms handling consumer claims, including travel insurance claims, during the COVID-19 crisis. The FCA’s rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims swiftly once settlement terms are agreed. In addition to this, the FCA has stated that, in light of the COVID-19 crisis, insurers must carefully consider the needs of their customers and show flexibility in their treatment of them. The Government is working closely with the FCA to ensure that these rules are being upheld, and supports the regulator in its role.

Insurance: Coronavirus

Lord Hayward: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toprovide joint coverage withinsurers toensure adequate insurance provision forindividuals and businesses planning events in 2021 which will enable them to start incurring costs for these events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector on its response to this unprecedented situation. We are working closely with the insurers, the trade bodies and regulators to understand what more the industry can do to help individuals and businesses in time of need, and how the insurance market delivers the support firms need as the economy reopens. The Government is exploring all options to ensure businesses can build resilience following the outbreak of COVID-19. We encourage businesses encountering financial difficulty as a result of this unprecedented situation to review the initiatives in the Government’s support package, such as Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, for which the application window has been extended to 30 November, and businesses rates holidays. We have taken steps to make our schemes deliverable, fair and targeted at those who need it the most. We continue to keep the Government support package under close review.

Debts: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made oftheresearch by the Institute for Public Policy Research Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups at greater risk of problem debt since COVID-19, published on 24 September.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Institute for Public Policy Research’s recent publication notes that income shocks, such as redundancy, can cause problem debt and that ethnic minority groups may be particularly exposed to such shocks.The Government has taken unprecedented steps to help those whose finances have been affected by COVID-19, regardless of their ethnicity. But the Government recognises that it will unfortunately not be possible to protect every job.The Government’s Plan for Jobs provides £1.2 billion to significantly expand and enhance work search support. The Government has also launched the new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme, creating hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people.The Government is also committed to helping people in problem debt access the support they need to get their finances back on track. That’s why an extra £37.8 million support package is being made available to debt advice providers this financial year, which brings this year’s annual budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million.In addition, from 4 May 2021 the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and encourage them to seek professional debt advice.

Job Support Scheme: Young People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Job Support Scheme on youth employment.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Government undertook an Equalities Impact Assessment of the Job Support Scheme which included an examination of the impacts on all protected characteristics, including age. The Job Support Scheme (JSS) is designed to support businesses that are facing lower demand due to COVID-19 to keep their employees in work and attached to the workforce. The JSS is also targeted at businesses who most need it; all SMEs are automatically eligible, and large companies are eligible if they have experienced a decline in revenue. Where firms make the decision that they cannot retain all of their staff over the longer run, the Government is ensuring that those looking for work are supported. A package of measures in the Plan for Jobs will help people find work by significantly increasing help offered through Jobcentres and providing individualised advice through the National Careers Service. The Government has also launched the Kickstart Scheme, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people.

Night-time Economy: Coronavirus

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of jobs that could be lost in the nighttime economy where employees may not qualify for the Job Support Scheme.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Job Support Scheme will assist businesses facing reduced demand over the winter due to COVID-19 to retain their employees and keep them attached to workforce. The Job Support Scheme is just one part of a wider package of support that will minimise strains on companies’ cash flow and help them meet fixed costs. Alongside the Job Support Scheme, the Government’s support package includes Bounce Back Loans, business support grants, an extension to the VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors, and the introduction of the Job Retention Bonus to encourage employers to keep their previously furloughed staff employed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Enterprises: Coronavirus

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to social enterprises to help with the changed circumstances and increased costs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: The Government continues to champion social enterprises and the significant and wide ranging contributions they make to our society, and more recently in the response to the pandemic including in health, social care and community support. There is no doubt that social enterprises are facing significant challenges and many have adapted their business models and operations to adjust to the new circumstances.Social enterprises have access to the support measures that the Government has put in place to support organisations through the pandemic, including loan schemes, business rate reliefs, flexibility around tax payments and grants. A £750m targeted funding package has been made available to support the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector to allow organisations to continue to provide vital services to those affected by COVID-19. This unprecedented funding is in addition to the significant package of support that has been made available across sectors, which social enterprises can access. This includes the Job Retention Scheme, the Business Loan Interruption Scheme, and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and more recent measures including the Job Support Scheme and the Kickstart scheme. A further £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts has been unlocked to support urgent work tackling youth unemployment, providing emergency loans for civil society organisations and improving the availability of fair, affordable credit to people in vulnerable circumstances.Last month the Government announced a social value procurement framework for central government contracts. This presents a real opportunity to grow social enterprises’ involvement in public sector supply chains.

Data Protection

Lord Risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government which provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation will be incorporated into UK law at the end of the transition period; and what new mechanisms will be put in place to regulate future UK-to EU data transfers.

Baroness Barran: At the end of the transition period, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA) will retain the General Data Protection Regulation in UK domestic law.We have made Regulations (The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc)(EU Exit) Regulations 2019) under the EUWA to make necessary and appropriate changes to the retained legislation so that the UK’s data protection law continues to function effectively after the transition period. For example, the Regulations rename the GDPR as the ‘UK GDPR’, repatriate certain powers from the EU Commission to the Secretary of State and replace European terminology with UK equivalents.At the end of the transition period, the UK will recognise EEA countries and EU institutions as continuing to be adequate for the purpose of the UK GDPR, so data can continue to flow from the UK to the EEA without further safeguards needing to be implemented.In order for the free flow of data from the EEA to the UK to continue at the end of the transition period, we are seeking adequacy decisions from the EU under both the GDPR and the LED.

Charities: Finance

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to bancharities from using street fundraisers.

Baroness Barran: Ordinarily, street fundraising is estimated to raise over £130m each year for charities. It is a popular form of fundraising for some charities as it recruits long-term supporters to the charity and builds awareness of the important work they do. The charity's trustees are responsible for monitoring all types of fundraising for their charity and for taking steps to address any methods that present a reputational risk or prove a poor investment for their charity. Charity fundraising in England and Wales is subject to independent self-regulation by the Fundraising Regulator. The Fundraising Regulator promotes best practice in fundraising and compliance with its Code of Fundraising Practice.During this difficult time, ensuring charities can safely begin fundraising activities will be a crucial part of the sector’s recovery. DCMS has worked closely with its sectors to publish guidance relating to COVID-19. This includes practical guidance and resources from the Fundraising Regulator and Chartered Institute of Fundraising supporting charities to safeguard the public, staff and volunteers as they plan to return to fundraising activities in a safe and responsible way. This can be viewed at;https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-dcms-sectors-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19There are no plans to ban charities from using street fundraisers.

ARM

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to assess if the proposed acquisition by NVIDIA of Arm would be contrary to the national interest; and if so, how.

Baroness Barran: The Government monitors acquisitions and mergers closely. When a takeover may have a significant impact on the UK we will not hesitate to investigate further and take appropriate action. We are examining this deal carefully to understand its impact on the UK.

Culture Recovery Fund

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations (1) have benefitted, or (2) are due to benefit, from the Culture Recovery Fund; and in which regions those organisations are located.

Baroness Barran: Applications to Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and British Film Institute closed in early September.Additional funding from the £1.57bn will has gone to Scotland (£97m); Wales (£59m) and Northern Ireland (£33m)On 22nd August, the £3.36 million Emergency Grassroot Music Venues Fund was shared among 136 venues across England who applied for support to survive the imminent risk of collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic.As part of this package, The British Film Institute (BFI) is also administering a £30-million fund on a rolling basis to support independent cinemas as they reopen, which will run until October 30th. The first wave of grant allocations was announced on Friday 2nd October, which saw 42 independent cinemas across England receive a share of £654,883.On Friday 9th October 445 heritage organisations were awarded £103 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. Grants of up to £1m will deliver a lifeline for the heritage sector in England with further support to follow and larger grants for capital projects awarded through the Heritage Stimulus Fund.On Monday 12th October Arts Council England awarded £257 million to over 1,300 organisations which applied for less than £1 million. The funding goes to theatres, galleries, performance groups, arts organisations, museums and local venues facing the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic to ensure they have a sustainable future.Further announcements of how the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will be allocated will be made in the coming weeks.